RCA 721TS mouse house
 

I bought this neglected RCA 721TS advertised on CL. The veneer is chipped and loose in places, has all its knobs, HV cover, but no metal back. Its 10BP4A is an RCA rebuilt unit that tests very good. Take a look at the huge mouse nest I found when I pulled out the chassis! A quick cleanup under the chassis helped a lot. I guess mice dont like the taste of old TV since I dont see any mouse damage. This one has a permanent magnet ion trap and a serial number in the 70,000's so I think its a later production set. The nice couple that sold it also had a Zenith TransOceanic 5H40 radio and a large RCA tube case. I got the lot for $150. Did I pay too much? I put the radio on a variac to reform the filter caps, and the radio works very well!

RCA Monogram rebuilt?
Never seen one of those before, only the later Silverama brand.

I think you got a score! 721's frequently go for $200 and you got a TO as a bonus,

In today's climate, with CRT rebuilding unavailable, some people might pay $100 for a good strong 10BP4 alone.

Those mice must have been well fed. Built a nice house, but didn't gnaw anything on the TV.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

I thought it was a good price, but was not sure with all the veneer damage. I found what I think may be a date on the rebuilt tube socket at its very end (the keyway part of the socket). Its a circle with a "59" on top and a "22" on the bottom. I suppose that could be the 22nd week of 1959? It is the same blue colored ink as the RCA Monogram lettering.

I think you scored. I've had over a dozen TO's, tube and solid state. Only one didn't work when I bought it and that was due to a loose (plug in style) transistor. Pushed it in a little further and that one took off too. If that one uses a 1L6 be careful. They are expensive buggers.

Love that TV too.

It does. Model H500, 1951-1953. Docs here:

http://www.transoceanic.nostalgiaair.org/

Phil Nelson

I have a Zenith H500 TO and it uses the pricey and delicate 1L6.
You ought to look for a 1R5 tube in place of the 1L6 when debugging until you get the radio working.

Zenith TO's are neat radios.

Carl

Good score!

I came across another mouse house Sparton TV years ago. Leaving the bottom screen off the bottom invites all sorts of critters.

Looks like they were very cosy in the bottom of the set. Was there any sign of damage (knawing) of any of the components underneath? In the Sparton, there was chewing of the wire insulation.

You got a good deal that was fair to the seller. I just bought a 721TS in similar cosmetic condition and it is missing some knobs and the back cover. My 10BP4 is weak but came up with some "cathode cooking" at 8v.

[QUOTE=ggregg;3035845]If that one uses a 1L6 be careful. They are expensive buggers.
QUOTE]

Yes it has a 1L6. I have not tested the tube in the TO, but they are good enough to pickup some radio stations :music:. Thanks for the warning I will be very careful with the those tubes. I will check through my boxes of tubes to see what I will need to buy to get a spare set of them.


Suprisingly I didnt find anything chewed on. I did find several chewed on nuts outside the chassis, inside the cabinet. The metal screen bottom is still on it, so the mouse must have found some opening just big enough to get in.

Yeah that 1L6 is a painfull purchase,, blew out a couple... Anyone try the solid state 1L6?? Love those zeniths... :D